Debate: Does Computer Use Cause Carpal Tunnel?

Contributor Icon Contributed by carotids  
Tag Icon Tagged: Entertainment  

Repetitive motion injury is a term that is thrown around a lot these days. Typing at the keyboard or using the mouse for hours and hours upon end just seems like it has to be horrible for your joints, right? Never in the time of man has anybody used a single set of joints as much as we do now, right? Well, not so fast…


Carpal tunnel is big money–medications, doctor’s views, braces, surgery, books, disability claims, missed work, etc. Forty percent of work place injuries are attributed to carpal tunnel syndrome. We should sue computer makers and mouse makers! Make these horrible input devices illegal! Right?

Well, maybe not. What’s the current medical research regarding carpal tunnel?
“…computer use does not pose a severe occupational hazard for developing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.”
–JAMA. 2003; 289:2963-2969.
One study (J Occup Med 1991 May;33(5):627-31) compared median nerve sensory and motor tests in a working population with significant repetitive hand usage to a normal population. No significant differences were detected between the two groups. They concluded that their “data provide[d] very little evidence for the concept of cumulative trauma as a prominent cause of carpal tunnel syndrome in American industry.”

Woah.

Other studies have shown that up to two-thirds of people claiming carpal tunnel syndrome were either obese or had an underlying medical disease that could be causing or contributing to their condition. When these medical conditions were removed, Nathan (Ocup Med 1992 Apr;34(4):379-83) concluded that “individual characteristics, not job-related factors, are the primary determinants of slowing of sensory conduction of the median nerve and carpal tunnel syndrome.”

So you are unlikely to get carpal tunnel unless you have some other medical condition than predisposes you to it.

“Individual characteristics, not job-related factors, are the primary determinants of slowing of sensory conduction of the median nerve and carpal tunnel syndrome.”
– Ocup Med 1992 Apr;34(4):379-83.

Classically the associated diseases are the following: rheumatoid arthritis, menopause, hypothyroidism, acromegaly, end-stage renal disease, pregnancy, and obesity. Even then the data is not clear that the repetitive use contributes any.

Of course, these were over 10 years ago. Has this data been reproduced recently? What about computer usage?

The Journal of the American Medical Association studied Computer Use and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in 2003. They screened and surveyed heavy-use computer workers looking for a cause and effect relationship. They really did not find much and concluded “that computer use does not pose a severe occupational hazard for developing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Harvard has recently sent out a press release partially titled “Computer Use Deleted As Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cause.”

If you are worried about repetitive use injury from your computer use, read through some information regarding these types of injuries. If they can be caused by computer use, you likely can decrease your chances by taking a few precautions.

The current research shows that computer use has very little role in causing carpal tunnel syndrome. Common medical diseases that are known to cause carpal tunnel are much more likely to blame than any repetitive use injury.

 

10 Comments -


  1. Anonymous said on December 2, 2009

    I’m not sure what the causes of carpal tunnel are but I’m sure mine has developed because I use the computer too much. Ever since I was 10 I had a computer and worked on it every day. After 15 straight years of typing and clicking my joints hurt as hell. I don’t have any other health problems and I’m not obese. You can’t take two groups and study them for a month and say there were no changes. That’s not a relevant test.

  2. FeleciaRose said on July 5, 2010

    YES there is a cause and effect relationship between carpal tunnel syndrome and computer use. The Harvard report uses as its basis flawed research (if not irresponsible). I’m a Harvard grad school grad and know how those guys like to sound important. In fact, the disappearance of the “carpal tunnel epidemic” of the 80s and 90s amounts to a cover-up. I’m preparing a report on the topic and will release it soon. If you want a copy — maybe Tech Recipes will let me share it.

  3. MANHATTANNEWY said on July 11, 2010

    I’d like a copy, manhattannewy@VERIZON.NET

  4. FeleciaRose said on July 11, 2010

    Hi! happy to oblige — sent you an email to confirm — what’s your experience with CTS or RSI? cheers! Felecia

  5. Remho said on August 23, 2010

    please post it here in tech-recipes

  6. Chen_peng03 said on October 13, 2010

    significant uggs outlet brgs ugg outlet bg uggs outlet stores true cheap uggs especilly uggs for cheap dear uggs on sale transformati uggs outlet even cheap uggs sure uggs for sale look-alike’ uggs layer cheap uggs winds, emu boots 8-yer-old emu ugg boot emu ugg boots drops uggs outlet temperature uggs online wlk womens uggs material uggs store out cheap uggs Once uggs Fll cheap uggs h cheap ugg boots Th uggs for cheap wpp gucci online boo. gucci outlet cert gucci store fer. gucci outlet store et gucci bags v gucci on sale y’re gucci for sale Gettg cheap gucci heepkin gucci 2011 Autrli uggs on sale up uggs for sale replcement discount uggs pryg uggs boots prdu. uggs store dffe uggs gr cheap uggs wht cheap ugg boots yle uggs for cheap Suede, uggs outlet decide uggs for sale. browns. Fur Boots uch UGG Australia Tall Classic Women’s Boots beva red UGG Bailey Botton Boots ee UGG Classic Boots ct UGG Classic Short Boots y’re UGG Classic Tall Carving Boots M” UGG Classic Tall Leopard Boots If UGG Classic Tall Metallic Boots be UGG Classic Tall Paisley Boots slowly UGG Infant Erin Toddlers Boots genuine UGG Lace-ups Boots ? UGG Mini Boots in UGG Nightfall Boots Suede, UGG Payton Boots wnt UGG Roxy Boots especilly UGG Style Women Boots

  7. ugg free shipping said on October 19, 2010

    Maybe you’re a hip, you may sell personality jeans are interested, you can click on our Web site: uggs store. You’re a woman you like boots, you might be looking for your boots.If you can get from ugg boots store with more information Why don’t you click ugg outlet storeYou can choose from our online store to buy what you want boots.
    You’re a woman you like boots, you might be looking for your boots. Why don’t you click ugg outlet storeMaybe you’re a hip, you may sell personality jeans are interested, you can click on our Web site: ugg boots store. You can choose from our online store to buy what you want boots.If you can get from uggs store with more information.
    You’re a woman you like boots, you might be looking for your boots. Why don’t you click ugg outlet storeMaybe you’re a hip, you may sell personality jeans are interested, you can click on our Web site: ugg boots store. You can choose from our online store to buy what you want boots.If you can get from uggs store with more information.

  8. Dianem527 said on February 16, 2011

    Moderator please feel free to edit but please keep the attempt to inform in and I had to type this hunt and peck because I still have stitches in my hand from surgery.

    If you have symptoms of carpal tunnel, get to a qualified hand surgeon and get tested, treated and do whatever is necessary to minimize impact on your wrists and hands.

    I was just tested and had surgery a week later for severe carpal tunnel. I Quote the specialist who did the nerve conduction study “it is not what you do that causes carpal tunnel, it is an anatomical defect. I’m surprised you don’t have any muscle damage yet. You’ve even damaged your elbows. I can’t even get a response in several places.”

    He was amazed I was still working full time 40 – 60 hours a week and commuting 3 hours a day. He had assumed I was on disability.

    What I do aggravates the anatomical defect. Typing since I was in high school, keystroking to enter raw data and billing codes and costs, cleaning the garage, cleaning cabinets and floors, toting 3 babies around, carrying things which should take 2 people, clearing an acre of desert, digging up bolders, being the …..

    Okay, you get the idea, you get older, joints wear out, cartilage either tears or starts to disintegrate in the joints and you get inflammation which causes swelling and compression of the carpal tunnel and yes, being BMI challeged can work on it too, because by being BMI challeged excess body mass is distributed all over the body, including the wrists and too much stuff in a small space = compression of the carpal tunnel and the nerves.

    I just want my hands back.

  9. Anonymous said on July 1, 2011

    nice post

  10. karolkate said on August 29, 2011

    @feliciarose
    i’m currently doing a research regarding cts&computers and i would love to interview you. can you send me your e-mail? thanks

 

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment -